Sussex County teens create award winning art – Every. Single. Year.

Learn more about why we critique, how we critique, and what happens after results are announced.

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How do I know if my work has been selected?

On the Teen Arts website, artwork or performance submissions will have a caption that states if a student’s artwork or performance has been selected for presentation at NJ State Teen Arts or another exhibit venue. Each school Teen Arts Coordinator will be given a list of selections in each performance category as well as a copy of each adjudication scoring guide and rubric.

Where does selected art go after Teen Arts?

Selected artwork goes to New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival and is curated into galleries across Sussex County. Due to the pandemic there will be some virtual galleries instead but we look forward to displaying Sussex County Teen Arts work in person in the future.

Exhibits & Virtual Galleries

New Jersey Teen Arts Virtual Festival (June 1-3)

SCHA&C Select Virtual Exhibit (March-April TBD)

Teen Arts Website Digital Gallery (until 2022)

Idiom & Image, the Arts & Literary Magazine of SCCC (Fall 2021) See previous issues: 2020 & 2019

Judging Process Transparency

Why is are there critiques?

The critique is an important aspect of the Teen Arts Festival. Sensitive, constructive criticism from professionals guarantees all festival participants an educationally rewarding experience. The festival is not a contest. It is a vehicle for understanding and experiencing the creative process through direct contact with professional artists and their peers. Students desire a hands-on approach to improving their work.

Who is critiquing the work?

Guest critics are individual artists who are professionals in their respective fields. A written Critique Philosophy was developed to guide guest critics through the process. Each artist uses adjudication rubrics and a holistic scoring guide system developed by the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival.

What happens after the critique?

The artists recommend student work for selection based on the rubrics linked below, these recommendations are used to determine which pieces represent Sussex County at the NJ State Festival and other venues. Final selected work is a cross section of age, schools, diversity of subject, medium, etc. The goal is to select work that reflects the efforts of teens from around the county. Each school’s teen arts coordinator will be notified of the results of their student’s work.